From Struggles to Success: Mohamed’s Journey with PSNP5

In the heart of Regdina Kore Kebele, Shankura woreda, Central Ethiopia, Mohamed Nur, a 50-year-old farmer, has turned his life around through resilience and opportunity. In 2021, when the PSNP5 program launched, Mohamed faced immense challenges. Harsh climatic conditions left him struggling to meet his family’s basic needs.

His home was unfurnished, and he and his wife slept on the bare floor, weighed down by uncertainty.

The turning point came when Mohamed was selected as a PSNP5 temporary wage employment client. Later, he received a loan of ETB 10,000, alongside technical, business, and life skills training. With determination, Mohamed invested in improved green pepper seeds and borrowed oxen to farm his land, repaying the loan through labor. His first harvest yielded ETB 17,000. He used this income to buy an ox and improved potato seeds, which generated ETB 30,000 in the next harvest.

Encouraged by his growing success, Mohamed set bigger goals. He purchased a cow, which soon produced a calf, and received ten chickens through PSNP5’s livelihoods intervention. These provided his family with nutritious eggs and a source of additional income. With support and training from PSNP5 in business and financial management, Mohamed expanded his farming activities and ventured into entrepreneurship.

Mohamed diversified his livelihood further. He bought a cart and opened the only shop in his neighborhood, quickly turning it into a community staple. His agricultural efforts also flourished, with thriving farms of coffee, khat, avocado, and maize. His livestock grew alongside his income, and the cart now serves dual purposes: transporting goods for his shop and earning extra income through freight services.

Today, Mohamed’s wealth has surpassed ETB 200,000, a significant milestone compared to where he started. He credits PSNP5 for the opportunities and guidance that fueled his transformation. With a thriving business, productive farms, and growing assets, Mohamed has requested to graduate from the PSNP5 program by the end of the fiscal year.

Mohamed Nur’s story is a testament to the transformative power of opportunity, resilience, and hard work, showing how programs like PSNP5 can turn lives around and inspire lasting change.

***

Source: This story is authored by Surafel Akalu and was originally published on JRIS newsletter.